This ALBA Network Diversity & Inclusion Session by Zachary Williams, USA, Amy Zile, United Kingdom, and Georgia Hodes, USA, was recorded on 23 September 2024 at the 37th ECNP Congress in Milan, Italy.
The general goal of this session is to raise awareness of gender and diversity issues in brain sciences and to disseminate positive practices countering discrimination.
Academia undergoes substantial changes over the last decade, with universities becoming more business-like. This results in a higher demand for results, increased job insecurity, and a lack of work-life balance, with academics experiencing higher stress than the wider population. A landmark survey published in 2018 finds that 41% of PhD students report moderate to severe anxiety, and 39% report moderate to severe depression. These levels are six times higher than in the general population, revealing that academia is in the grips of a mental health crisis. Additionally, about 15% of students identify as neurodiverse, which comes with its own unique set of challenges and opportunities when working in research.
This session, run by the ALBA Network Disability & Accessibility working group, aims to raise awareness and encourage open discussion of mental health and neurodiversity in the academic setting, as well as discussing ideas on how to improve the current situation. Firstly, clinician scientist Zachary Williams gives an overview of mental health and neurodiversity in academia. Amy Zile then presents data from her thesis looking at issues surrounding openly talking about mental health diagnoses in post-graduate research settings, and recommendations for improvement. Lastly, neuroscientist Georgia Hodes talks about her personal story of working in research while dealing with major depressive disorder. The session finishes with an interactive panel discussion, where the audience can ask questions and provide their own ideas on what can be done to make academia more inclusive of mental health and neurodiversity.
Views and opinions expressed in these videos are those of the presenters and do not necessarily reflect the official position of ECNP. The content of these videos should not be used in any way as the basis for treatment decisions.
